Bread slicing machine



NOV. 23, W HOPPE BREAD snows momma:

Filed Feb 12,' 1957 4 Sheets Sheet l W HOPFE Nay Z8, i3

BREAD SLICIN: MACHINE Filed Flb. 12.:

1937 4 Sheets-sheaf. 2

Nov. 28, 1939" W HOPPE 2,181,68fi

BREAD SLICING MACHINE Filed Feb. 12, 1937 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR I MM/A/VfibP/ E Q ZM AT ORNEYS veyer, generally driven in timed relation with a provision of mechanism for preventing ultimate Patented Nov. 23, 1939 I BREAD snrcnvo MACHINE William Hoppe, Springfield, Mass, assignor to National Bread Wrapping Machine 60., Springfield, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 12, 193.7, Serial No. 125,371

4 Claims. (01. 146-153) This invention deals with the problem of feedmechanism also is subject to difiiculties in not ing loaves of bread through the knives of a slicbeing positive in action and as tending to crush ing machine and of locating. the sliced loaves or mar the loaves. properly between the flights of a delivery con- The present invention has for one object the 'J wrapping machine for the sliced loaves. This misregistration of the loaves with the flights of problem arises in connection only with certain the delivery conveyer irrespective of the position types of feeding mechanism by which the loaves relative to these flights at which the loaves are carried through the slicing knives. If the emerge from the knives. The invention has for a loaves are carried through the knives by pushers ijurther object the provision of means for reg- 10 which are slotted to pass between the cutting istering loaves with the flights of a delivery conblades, the loaves can readily be positioned with veyer which will be equally operable with either "respect to the flights of a delivery conveyor since a frictional or positive type of feeding mechathe delivery conveyer and the positive feed can nism by which the loaves are carried through be driven in accurately timed relation. This the knives. Additional advantages will appear 15 construction has, however, the disadvantage that from the following description and claims.

there is of necessity a gap between the loaves Fig. lis acentral section through a slicing mabeing fed through the slicing knives, and there is chine embodying one form of my invention; therefore a decrease of output for a given out- Fig. 2 is a detail similar to a portion of Fig. 1,

2O ting rate. Since it is desirable to employ the but showing a different form of registering slicing machine at the maximum speed at which mechanism;

cutting can be satisfactorily performed, it has Fig. 3 is a detail showing a modified form of been proposed to replace these pushers with a loaf pusher on the delivery conveyer; mechanism which feeds a series of loaves in un- Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the debroken succession through the knives. When livery table showing another modification; this form of feeding mechanism is used it is Fig. 5 is a central section of the mechanism necessary to separate the sliced loaves in accordho n in Fig. 4; 811.06 with the sp cin of the flights of he 1 Figs. 6, '7, and 8 are details showing successive livery Conveyer- The problem e ar s s 1 stages in the operation of the mechanism shown avoiding the presence of two loaves between i Fi 4 and 5;

' adjacent flights of the delivery conveyer. It can Fig. 9 is a detail plan of one side of the dereadily be seen that the presence of two loaves livery table in which another form of registerbetween adjacent flights might result in jaming mechanism is used; ming or injuring the wrapping mechanism to Fig. 10 is a similar plan of the other side of which the sliced loaves are delivered. It may be the delivery table;

"' remarked that the omission of a loaf between Fig. 11 is a section on line llH of Fig. 9;

adjacent flights is of lesser consequence since Fig. 12 is a section on line l2l2 of Fig. 10; while it slows down-the operation of the ma- Figs. 13 and 14 are details showing successive chine it has no injurious effect upon the wrapping stages in the operation of the form of the device 4 mechanism on account of the standard control shown in Fig. l; and

devices which prevent the feeding of a sheet of Fig. 15 is a detail corresponding to a portion wrapping paper unless an article is in place of Fig. l, but showing. an alternative form of to receive it. registering mechanism.

It has been previously proposed to meet this The slicing machine chosen for purposes of ,5 problem by driving the loaf feeding means posiillustration is mounted on a frame 21] in which tively and coupling it to a source of power by a two knife frames 2| are suitably mounted for clutch,.the operation of which is automatically reciprocation in opposite directions by mechatirned by the entry of a loaf into the delivery nism 22 driven by motor 23. The knives 24 are conveyer. This form of mechanism is cumbermounted on the knife frames in any desired 0 son e and does not positively prevent the presmanner. The loaves L are fed to the knives ence of two. loaves between adjacent flights. It upon a support 25 by any suitable mechanism has also beenproposed to use a slip drive for such as feed chains 26 and 27, preferably driven feeding the loaves through the knives and to hold through a variable speed device not shown. In back, the entire line of loaves by a stop released the present case, the support and chains are timed relation to the delivery conveyor. This shown as set at an angle to the knives but they v could be arranged horizontally if desired. The support 25 is preferably slotted so as to extend between the knives and to give a substantially continuous support to the loaves. As the sliced 1 loaves emerge from the knives they pass off the end of the slanting suport 25 onto a delivery table 28 provided with suitable side guides 29.

Referring first to the modification shown in Figs. 1, 13, and 14, a pair of spaced parallel conveyer chains 39 (only one of which appears in the drawings) are mounted upon sprockets 3i, tightening sprockets 32 and end sprockets not shown in the drawings. These chains carry pushers or flights 33 which pass upwardly at the end of the delivery table adjacent the knives and then along above its surface. As the pushers pass upwardly they will engage the rear of a sliced loaf provided that this loaf has been completely deposited upon the delivery table by the pressure of the loaves behind it, the angle between the support 25 and the table causing a gap to be formed between a loaf on the support and a loaf on the table. If, as in Fig. 13, the loaf at the bottom of the slanting support 25 has not been completely seated upon the table 28, the pushers 33 will strike its bottom and carry the loaf along as shown in Fig. 1. This position is of course undesirable, both because of the tendency of the slices to become displaced and because the loaf will not be in the proper position for delivery to the wrapping machine.

For the purpose of insuring that each loaf will ultimately be positioned ahead of its conveying flight a supplementary pusher or conveyer is mounted upon brackets 34 extending above the delivery table. In these brackets is journaled a shaft 35 extending from which are arms 36 between which extends a rod 31. The shaft 35 is connected, by gears 38 with a second shaft 39 which is coupled as by a chain and sprocket connection Ml with the shaft of sprocket 3| so that the rod 31 will be given an orbital motion in timed relation with the rectilinear motion of the pushers 33. As the rod 31 rotates it passes above the top of a loaf and then strikes this loaf in the rear, moving the loaf sufficiently ahead of the pushers 33 to insure complete freedom of the loaf from the pushers. The rod then passes upwardly and the loaf, now solidly positioned upon the table 28, is carried along by the pushers 33.

Fig. 2 shows a modification of this form of registering means in which the rod is mounted on a continuously moving chain rather than upon arms rotating about a shaft. In this case sprockets 45 mounted upon the shaft 35 previous;- ly described carry chains 46 which also pass around an idle end sprocket not shown. One or more rods 47 pass between the chains to serve as pushers similar to the rods 37. This form of mechanism has, however, the advantage that since the rod 4'! moves parallel to the pushers 33 for a considerable distance, .their relative speed of movement may be much less in order to accomplish an equivalent shifting of the loaf relative to the pushers. Less tendency to mar or tilt the loaf will therefore result.

In Fig. 3 is shown a form of pusher50 which may be used in substitution for the pusher 33 of the modifications previously described or for the pushers to be described in the following illustrations. This pusher has a vertical pushing face 5! and a slanting rear face 52. This form of pusher is of utility in cases where a loaf picked up by a pusher is likely to be tilted in the oppo- "site direction to that shown in Fig. 1, as it facilitates the sliding of, the loaf over the pusher. I The modification of Fig. 15 is rather similar to that of Fig. 1, but instead of giving the loaf resetting-rod an orbital movement it is merely oscillated. In this case a shaft 55 carries arms 56 between which the loaf pushing rod 51 is mounted. The shaft also carries an arm 58 coupled by a link 59to a bell crank 60 bearing a' cam roll Bi held in position against the surface of a cam 62 by a spring 63. The cam is driven in suitable timed relation to the delivery conveyer by mechanism similar to that described. During the initial passage of the loaf along the delivery table the rod 56 is held upwardly at about the line 54, and as the loaf passes the rod the latter is moved down to a vertical position to carry the loaf ahead of the pusher 33 and temporarily free it therefrom.

In the modifications of Figs. 4 to 12, the registration of the loaf with the delivery pusher is accomplished in a specifically different manner. In accordance with these modifications two sets of pushers are used. One of them receives the loaf from the support 25 and moves out of contact with the loaf at an intermediate point of the'delivery table 28; leaving the loaf in position to be picked up by a second pusher which is so arranged that it cannot of itself pick up a loaf from the support 25. Irrespective of the position of the loaf relative to the first pusher, the second pusher always contacts the' loaf in the correct position since at this time the loaf is flat upon the delivery table and the pusher advances against it squarely from the rear.

Referring now to the modification of Figs. 4.- to 8, two separate delivery conveyer chains are used. In the first of these flights 65 are carried between spaced chains 66 running around sprockets til and 8B. These flights pass upwardly toa point above the delivery table 28 through the gap between this table and the support 25. They pass out of contact with the loaf through a gap 69 in the table as the chains 66 pass around the sprockets 68. To permit the pushers to pass through the table at this point without interfering with the passage of the loaves over the gap, the table is provided with a spring-pressed trapdoor 10, the action of which is shown best in Fig. '7. The second delivery conveyeris composed of flights H mounted between chains 12 which runs between sprockets 13 on the same shaft as sprockets 67 and end sprockets 14. They also pass around sprockets on the shafts of the sprockets 68 which are not shown in the drawings. At a'point between the knife end of the delivery table and the gap 69, the chains 12 pass around direction changing sprockets l5 and 16, carrying the flights H upwardly through a gap in the delivery table which is normally closed by a spring-pressed trapdoor 71. It will be noted that the flights 85 extend further from their chains than do their flights ll so that while the flights B5 initially pass above the table 28 the flights ii pass below it. In this construction a loafwill be picked off the lower end of the support 25 by one of the flights 65 in any position that this loaf happens to find itself and will be carried along by this flight until the latter disappears through the gap 69 as shown in Fig. 7. One of the flights ll has meanwhile passed up- ,wardly through the trapdoor and approaches the loaf from the rear, picking it up and carrying it along, as shown in-Fig. 8.

r In the modification of Figs. 9 to 12 the two pairs of 'chains are replaced by a single pair of chains passing around sprockets 8| and 82, and two sets of flights are provided operated by suitable mechanism to cause them to assume different elevations above the chains at difierent positions in their paths. The first set of flights 83 are pivoted to each of the opposed chains and have tail portions 84 at one end bearing a roll or rod 85 running upon a rail 86. Ihe flights are given a motion in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 12 by means of a spring 81 connecting the tail portion 84 to one of the pintles of the chain. These flights are moved by the lefthand end of the rail 84 as viewed in Fig. 12, so that they pass upwardly through the gap between the table 28 and the support 25. As the rod 85 passes beyond the end of the rail 84 the spring causes the flight to move into the dotted line position of that flight shown in contact with the loaf in Fig. 12 and to pass through a springpressed trapdoor 88. The second set of flights are likewise pivoted to the chains and have tail portions 9| adjacent the opposite chain to that adjacent which the tail portions 84 are located. The tail portions 9| carry a roll or rod 92 running upon a rail 93. The action of this rail is shown in Fig. 11. As shown in dotted lines at the left of this figure, the flights are caused to tilt so as to pass underneath the table 28 and are moved by springs 94 upwardly through trapdoors 95. At the first part of the travel of these flights they are below the table 28 and when a loaf is deposited at an intermediate point of the delivery table as shown in Fig. 12 one of the flights 90 is in position to come up behind it and to meet it squarely irrespective of what was the original position of the loaf with respect to that one of the flights 88 which was carrying it. To hold the flights in their correct positions at right angles to the chains, stops 96 are provided for the flights 83, and stops 9'! for the flights 90.

It will be understood that other methods of moving the successive loaves ahead of the pushers which are ultimately to carry them along the delivery table may be provided within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a bread slicing machine, slicing knives, means for pushing an abutting series of loaves through the knives, a slotted delivery table positioned to receive the leading sliced loaf of the abutting series fed through the knives by said means, an endless delivery conveyer, two sets of pushers carried by said conveyer, means for moving one set of pushers upwardly past the end of the delivery table adjacent the knives and downwardly through a slot in said table spaced from the knives, and means for moving the pushers of the other set upwardly through a slot in the delivery table to pick up loaves deposited on the table by the pushers of the first set.

2. In a bread slicing machine, slicing knives, means for pushing an abutting series of loaves through the knives, a slotted delivery table positioned to receive the leading sliced loaf of the abutting series fed through the knives by said means, an endless delivery conveyer, two sets of pushers carried by said conveyer, means for moving one set of pushers upwardly past the end of the delivery table adjacent the knives and downwardly through a slot in said table spaced from the knives, means for moving the pushers of the other set upwardly through a slot in the delivery table to pick up loaves deposited on the table by the pushers of the first set, and means for closing the slots in the delivery'table except when the pushers are passing therethrough.

3. In a bread slicing machine, slicing knives, means for pushing an abutting series of loaves through the knives, a delivery table positioned to receive the leading sliced loaf of the abutting series fed through the knives by said means, two sets of continuously movable pushers, the pushers of one set being mounted to contact the sliced loaves successively at the point at which they are received upon the delivery table by said firstnamed pushing means, and to deposit them at an intermediate point of the delivery table, the pushers of the second set being mounted to pick up the sliced loaves so deposited and to convey them further along the delivery table, an endless conveyer carrying the pushers of the first set and mounted to move said pushers up past the end of the delivery table adjacent the knives and to carry them downwardly through a slot therein spaced from the knives, and a second endless conveyer carrying the pushers of the second set and mounted so as to carry said pushers upward- 1y through a slot in the delivery table to a point at the rear of a loaf deposited by the pushers of the first set, and to convey the loaves further along the delivery table.

4. In a bread slicing machine, slicing knives, means for pushing an abutting series of loaves through the knives, a delivery table positioned to receive the leading sliced loaf of the abutting series fed through the knives by said means, two sets of continuously movable pushers, the pushers of one set being mounted to contact the sliced loaves successively at the point at which they are received upon the delivery table by said firstnamed pushing means, and to deposit them at an intermediate point of the delivery table, the pushers of the second set being mounted to pick up the sliced loaves so deposited and to convey them further along the delivery table, an endless conveyer carrying the pushers of the first set and mounted to move said pushers up past the end of the delivery table adjacent the knives and to carry them downwardly through a slot therein spaced from the knives, a second endless conveyer carrying the pushers of the second set and mounted so as to carry said pushers upwardly through a slot in the delivery table to a point at the rear of a loaf deposited by the pushers of the first set, and to convey the loaves further along the delivery table, and means for closing the slots in the delivery table except when the pushers are passing therethrough.

WILLIAM HOPPE. 

